The DEL Cup is a DEL-wide tournament that begins every 9 weeks, in which
pro teams play against pro teams in other leagues to decide a true
world champion.

Because every league has its own schedule, it is impossible to run
DEL Cup at a time in which all leagues are in season. Instead, the
tournament is scheduled to run at a different speed than the leagues,
so that while one tournament may come during your offseason, the next
comes during your season. If a league is in its offseason, it is
still possible for teams to participate. Each season begins on a
Monday and its first free agent signings Friday, thus allowing teams to
field complete rosters both in the weekend before the new season begins
and the weekend after the new season begins.

In order to integrate DEL Cup with league play, your DEL Cup performances
do affect your team. Players sustain and heal from injuries, fatigue,
and learn new positions just as if the games were league games.
Additionally, your team receives a bonus at the start of each round
beginning with the second round. Finally, press releases sent to the DEL
Cup mailing lists count the same as normal press releases toward the
weekly press bonuses.